Shouldn't a Pit Bull have credibility

the media loved Palin's speech: Palin comes out throwing punches - CNN.com

But did she do what she needed to do to connect to independent voters? I don't think so, the speech was yet another doubling down on Rove's old strategy of pandering to the Republican base.

This is not necessarily in McCain's best interests. If McCain is to win he needs to gain votes from the center. But it might well be in the interests of his advisors for whom it is much better that McCain guarantee a worst cas outcome of an honorable defeat rather than really take a gamble that might risk an Obama blow-out but provide a real chance of a McCain win.

Doubling down on the base was the safe move for McCain's handlers, but a bad move for McCain.

The speech itself played well in the hall. But since when has an acceptance speech not been accepted with rapturous enthusiasm? The problem with the speech from my point of view is that it was all attacks and sneers with no substance.

Palin is new on the national scene, her first priority with the speech should have been to establish credibility with the voters. The speech did play on her background of course, but that is different, that is making an emotional connection with the audience. An emotional connection is not credibility. Most American women seem to love Rosie O'Donnel, that does not mean she has credibility as a senator, let alone as Vice President.

When I hear an attack on someone I respect my first response is not to think less of the person being attacked, it is to ask why should I believe you instead of them. If the attack comes without proof points to substantiate the claims it is going to backfire. I will think more of the victim and less of the attacker.

The GOP knows this of course and it is the reason that they have been milking every drop of hostile media coveage for every last drop of sympathy. But sympathy is not respect either. For this particular gambit to work the voters would have to be convinced that the attacks came from Obama rather than the media, outside the committed supporters I don't think they are.